"Cheat Sheet" on Serving Sizes

It's a safe, smart bet that you will eat extra calories at some events this month. (football parties, kids sporting events, hunting camp, you name it!)

To help that balance out, it's rather extreme to skip meals or work out like a mad person a bunch extra. The easiest thing is to simply keep a tighter handle on your everyday intake, the non-special event days. Keep these "rules" in mind when doing so.

PROTEIN

A standard serving of protein is the size and thickness of your palm.

Aim to eat at least one palm of protein at most meals. Good protein sources include things like meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, Greek yogurt, or tofu.

VEGETABLES

A standard serving of non-starchy vegetables (or less-sweet fruits) is the size of your fist.

Strive for one or two fist-sized portions at every meal. Think broccoli, peppers, cabbage, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, berries, cucumber…the more colorful, the better!

FATS

A standard serving of healthy fats is the size of your thumb.

At every meal, about one portion of healthy fats (like avocado, cold-pressed oils, or salad dressing) is ideal.

CARBS

A standard serving of cooked carbohydrates or sweet fruit is the size of a cupped handful.

At most meals, shoot for at least one cupped handful of slow-digesting, high-fiber carbohydrates (such as brown or wild rice, sweet potato, or whole grain bread).

SIDE NOTES

This is only a good STARTING POINT for serving sizes.

If you're pretty active, you may need more carbs. If you aren't too active, maybe fewer carbs.

If your goal is fat loss (or at least avoiding fat gain) or you are always hungry, focus on adding veggies and protein to feel fuller.

If you need a snack or two, cut these in half to estimate proper portions.

These are based on your hand sizes, so larger folks would get larger servings. Yes, we know it feels unfair to the smaller of you, but larger bodies really do require more calories on a daily basis.

Remember that it's much easier to control these sizes when making the food yourself, so maybe focus on meal prep this month. Or stock up on our Power Plate Meals to make it easier!

If you focus on hitting your consistent and intentional workouts regularly AND keeping your day-to-day nutrition intake on a good course - you will more thoroughly enjoy the indulgences when celebrating with friends and family as you should!